The details were a bit hazy in Jay Cutler's memory, but he summoned most of them. The first time he threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall was almost seven years ago. They were Broncos rookies then playing for two-time Super Bowl champion coach Mike Shanahan.

"We didn't even know what we were doing out there," Cutler recalled Monday on his radio show on WMVP-AM 1000. "He came in and ran a 5-yard in route and, I swear ... he broke probably six or seven tackles and went like 73 yards. Gone."

It actually was 71 yards, as the radio host noted. No matter. They have connected for 27 touchdowns since; 13 more with the Broncos through 2008 and 14 with the Bears since they reunited here last season.

It's clear now, as it was then, that Cutler and Marshall's bond is strong. What began under Shanahan continues under Bears coach Marc Trestman as one of the centerpieces of the Bears' offense.

When the Bears visit the Redskins on Sunday, Shanahan will be on the opposite sideline coaching against the quarterback he once drafted in the first round and the receiver he selected in the fourth. As Trestman sees it, Shanahan deserves significant credit for fostering the potent quarterback-receiver combination he now enjoys.

"That part of their foundation was grounded in some very quality coaching. I know how Mike trains quarterbacks and how he coaches a passing game," said Trestman, who succeeded Shanahan as the 49ers' offensive coordinator in 1995.

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Shanahan coveted Cutler in 2006 because of how poised he was in the pocket under pressure at Vanderbilt. Cutler's arm strength and mobility suited the bootleg play-action passing game Shanahan has made famous.

Shanahan didn't want his interest publicized, though, because he feared another team would select Cutler before the Broncos picked 15th. To keep that covert, the Broncos did not host Cutler on a visit to team headquarters. Ultimately, Shanahan traded up four spots to select him 11th.

Cutler took over as the starter in December 2006 and made the Pro Bowl in 2008 when he threw for a career-high 4,526 yards.

Trestman is the first offensive-minded head coach Cutler has played for since. Maybe it's no coincidence he is only 180 yards off that career-high pace this season.

"That's the way he played for me," Shanahan said.

Marshall sees even more out of his quarterback.

"It's more from a mental aspect," he said. "He's locked in. Jay's doing an amazing job of doing (what) he needs to do, he's getting everyone lined up. He's walking us through routes, showing us how he would like it. The trickle-down effect has been good from his leadership."

Shanahan has followed Cutler's career since the Broncos fired him after the 2008 season and proceeded to trade Cutler to the Bears. Two elements, in particular, stand out to him about Cutler's success early this season.

"You have to have a system that you believe in, and Jay picks up any system very quickly, and ... you're trying to get the best supporting cast to give your quarterback a chance to be successful," Shanahan said."

After Shanahan drafted Cutler in 2006, he took Marshall in one of the best mid-round picks in recent history. Marshall's speed training helped to unlock the potential in his 6-foot-5 frame and he emerged as one of the NFL's top receivers.

He still feels Shanahan's influence on him.

"The way he taught us the game and broke things down, but also he set the bar really high," Marshall said. "There were high expectations."

Those followed Marshall to the Dolphins and Bears. And now that he and Cutler are connecting again as veterans, the reason is clear to the coach who's building on the past.

"Their professionalism is grounded in how they were trained," Trestman said.